A Quad Cities businessman who founded a pizza chain that has long had a location in Galesburg has passed away.
“Happy Joe’s Pizza” says the chain’s namesake — “Happy” Joe Whitty — passed away Tuesday at the age of 82.
“Happy Joe’s Pizza” has been a mainstay in the regional food scene for the last 47 years. Most of that time, there have been locations in Galesburg and Kewanee in the immediate among other locations in the Quad Cities and beyond. The chain started in the Village of East Davenport.
Whitty’s daughter Kristel Whitty-Ersan posted on social media that her father “now rests in God’s loving arms.”
Whitty was as much known for his support of Quad City-area children’s organizations as he was for his pizza — especially organizations involving children with special needs.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. In the meantime, Whitty-Ersan says on Facebook, her father can be honored by “practicing human kindness every day.”
